Three Good Ways To Get Off Your Phone

By Uloop Writer on May 4, 2015

The other day one of my friends asked if she could come over to watch some awards show because her cable wasn’t working. I replied yes since there is nothing else I would rather do with my evening than sit and watch an example of finest American culture on MTV.

From the moment she arrived to when the show finally ended I counted nine times that she raised her eyes from her phone. Nine times in about two hours. I am pretty sure she didn’t even watch any of her award show. As she left eyes still glued to the screen I thought to myself how guilty was I of doing the same thing with my phone.

Do I stare at it that much? Has it become an extension of my living body as it certainly has for my friend? I believe I am decently cognizant of not getting too attached to my phone and I have a couple of tips for how to amputate your smartphone from your body.

1.) Delete an App or Ten. Every application that you have on your phone is another distraction that will keep you from the real world around you. Sure Snapchat, Yik Yak etc. are awesome, but just having one or two of those social media outlets is really enough.

Also, you can have a Facebook and Twitter without having the application on your phone. It may be annoying to go through your browser to access your prized social media accounts, but not having the notifications and constant access to them will let you enjoy actual face time with the people around you.

2.) Actually Have Friends. Today a phone is primarily a social tool where we can keep in contact with all our friends while keeping up with all our news, sports, etc. However, snapchatting or checking your friend’s Facebook five times a day does not constitute friendship.

More often interactions over social media create more ambiguities and complexities in relationships than anything. Make an effort to spend time with people in the real world or even just call them for five minutes instead of spending an hour on apps. Oh and when you are with them please keep your phone off.

3.) Leave It In The Dust. The best thing you can do is to not have your phone on your person 24/7. This may involve leaving it in your car for a couple hours after you arrive at the beach or even just throwing it on the other side of the couch.

If you are worried about an actual emergency turn off notifications for everything except calls and put it face down next to you. Personally I like to leave it back at my home sometimes before I go out for a couple hours, but I know this might be a stretch for some people.

In short, life is too short to be spent looking down. If you are reading this from your phone, put it away.

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